Newspaper Page Text
part two.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT POINTS
TO THE NATION’S PROSPERITY
Industrialism and Better Government the Keynote of
His Message to Congress.
The Relations of Capital and Labor Second Only to the
Intimate Questions of Family Life.
The Great Corporations, the Great Cities, the Country’s Agriculture, Its
Trade, Capital and Labor, the Army and Navy, the Foreign Policy,
the Philippines and Alaska Discussed, but Not a Word '
About the Tariff—Danger in Disarmament, the Pres
ident Says—The Aim of All Nations Should
Be the Peace of Justice.
Washington, Dee. 6.—After listening
to the reading of the President’s an
nual message to Congress, the House
adjourned until to-morrow. During
the first ten minutes of the session
two minor routine matters were dis
posed of, but outside of these no other
business was transacted.
Just before Speaker Cannon rapped
the House to order an elderly man,
occupying a front seat in the public
gallery, uttered a series of long drawn
whoops. Considerable commotion was
caused before he was ejected.
Shortly after the clerk began to read
the message, printed copies were dis
tributed among the members. Demo
crats and Republicans alike gave close
attention to the utterances of the
President and with the aid of the
printed copies intently followed the
clerk in the reading. Upon the con
clusion of the reading of the message,
which consumed one hour and fifty
three minutes, there • was loud ap
plause from the Republican side.
The message, on motion of Mr.
Payne, was referred to the Committee
of the Whole House on the state of
the Union, after which the House ad
journed.
The Senate was in session for more
than two hours to-day, and in addi
tion to listening to the reading of the
President's message, received a pre
liminary report from the Merchant
Marine Commission, witnessed the in
duction of Senators Knox and Crane
into office and in executive session re
ferred the presidential nominations to
the proper committees.
The reading of the commissions of
two new senators attracted more at
tention than usual in such cases, on
account of their prominence, and sen
ators generally did not fail to note
the peculiar wording of Gov. Penny
packer’s communication, wherein he
conferred the office of senator upon Mr.
Knox, empowering him to hold it with
all its emoluments and privileges un
til the next meeting of the Legislature
of the state, "if he shall so long be
have himself well.”
r lhe Senate held a brief executive
session and adjourned until to-mor
row.
The President’s message follows:
1o the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives: The nation continues to
f njoy noteworthy prosperity. Such
prosperity is of course primarily due
to th* high individual average of our
citizenship, taken together with our
great natural resources; biff an im
portant factor therein is the working
of our long-continued governmental
policies. The people have emphatically
expresesd their approval of the prin
ciples underlying these policies, and
their desire that these principles be
Kept substantially unchanged, al
though of course applied in a progres
sive spirit to meet changing condi
tions.
The enlargment of scope of the
functions of the national government
required by our development as a na
tion involves, of course, increase of
expense; and the period of prosperity
through which the country is passing
justifies expenditures for permanent
improvement far greater than would
be wise in hard times.
Caution Aaalnst Extravagance,
battleships and forts, public build
ings, and improved waterways are in
vestments which should be made when
v e have the money; but abundant rev
enues and a large surplus always in
vite extravagance, and constant care
should be taken to guard against un
necessary increase of the ordinary ex
-1" uses of government. The cost of
doing government business should be
regulated with the same rigid scrutiny
ns the ocst of doing a private busi
ness.
Cnpilal anil I.abor.
In the vast and complicated mech
unism of our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note of indus
trialism; and the relations of capital
and labor, and especially of organized
r i Pital and organized labor, to each
other and to the public at large
come second In Importance only to the
intimate questions of family life.
1 >ur peculiar form of government,
*lth its sharp division of authority
between the nation and the several
Mates, has been on the whole far
more advantageous to our development
’bin a more strongly centralized gov
ernment. But it is undoubtedly re
sponsible for much of the difficulty of
meeting with adequate legislation the
new problems presented by the total
•’hang* in Industrial conditions on this
'eminent during the last half century.
In actual practice It has proved ex
ceedingly difficult, and In many cases
impossible, to get unanimity of wise
ctlon among the various states on
these subjects. From the very na
"tfc of the case this Is especially true
of the laws affecting the employment
of e.ipita) | n huge masses.
The I. It tier I'rohlem.
With regard to labor the problem Is
o less Important. but It Is simpler.
'*> long as the states retain the pri
mary control of the police power the
ll' umeteneeg must be altogether •-
,which require Interference hy
" federal authorities, whether In tbs
Morning
way of safeguarding the rights of la
bor or in the way of seeing that
wrong is not done by unruly persons
who shield themselves behind the name
of labor.
If there is resistance to the Federal
courts, interference with the mails, or
interstate commerce, or molestation of
Federal property, or if the state au
thorities in some crisis which they are
unable to face call for help, then the
Federal government may interfere; but
though such interference may be caus
ed by a condition of things arising
out of trouble connected with some
question of labor, the interference it
self simply takes the form of restor
ing order without regard to the ques
tions which have caused the breach
of order—for to keep order is a pri
mary duty and in a time of disorder
and violence all other questions sink
into abeyance until order has been re
stored. In the District of Columbia
and in the territories the Federal law
covers the entire field of government;
but the labor question is only acute
in populous centers of commerce, man
ufactures, or mining.
An Example to the Staten.
Nevertheless, both in the enactment
and in the enforcement of law the
Federal government within its restrict
ed sphere should set an example to
the state governments, especially in
a matter so vital as this affecting la
bor. I believe that under modern in
dustrial conditions it is often neces
sary, and, even where not necessary
it is yet often wise, that there should
be organization of labor in order bet
ter to secure the rights of the indi
vidual tvage-worker. All encourage
ment should be given to any such or
ganization. so long as it is conducted
with a due and decent regard for the
rights of others.
There are in this country some la
bor unions which have habitually, and
other labor unions which have often,
been among the most effective agents
in working for good citizenship and
for uplifting the condition of those
whose welfare should be closest to our
hearts.
Wrongdoing* of Union*.
But when any labor union seeks im
proper ends, or seeks to achieve proper
ends by improper means, all good citi
zens and more especially all honorable
public servants must oppose the
wrongdoing as resolutely as they
would oppose the wrongdoing of
any great corporation. Of course
any violence, brutality or cor
ruption should not for one moment
be tolerated. Wage-workers have an
entire right to organize and by all
peaceful and honorable means to en
deavor to persuade their fellows to jolt:
with them in organizations. They
have a legal right, which, according
to circumstances, may or may not be
a moral right, to refuse to work in
company with men who decline to join
their organizations. They have under
no circumstances the right to commit
violence upon those, whether capitalists
or wage-workers, who refuse to sup
port their organizations, or who side
with those with whom they are at
odds; for mob rule is intolerable in any
form.
Employer’* Liability Law,
The wage-workers are peculiarly en
titled to the protection and the encour
agement of the law. From the very
nature of their occupation, railroad
men, for instance, are liable to be
maimed in doing the legitimate work
of their profession, unless the railroad
companies are required by law to make
ample provision for their safety. The
administration has been zealous In en
forcing the existing law for this pur
pose. That law should be amended
and strengthened. Wherever the na
tional government has power there
should be a stringent employer’s lia
bility law, which should apply to the
government itself where the govern
ment is an employer of labor.
In my message to the Fifty-seventh
Congress, at its second session, I urged
the passage of an employer’s liability
law for the District of Columbia. I
new renew that recommendation, and
further recommend that the Congress
appoint a commission to make a com
prehensive study of employer's liabili
ty with the view of extending the pro
visions of a great and constitutional
law to all employments within the
scope of federal power.
Medal* of Honor.
The government has recognized hero
ism upon the water, and bestows med
als of honor upon those persons who
by extreme and heroic daring have
endangered their lives in saving, or
endeavoring to save, lives from the
perils of the sea in the waters over
which the United States Was Juris
diction, or upon an American vessel.
This recognition should be extended
to cover cases of conspicuous bravery
and self-sacrifice in the saving of life
In private employments under the Ju
risdiction of the United States and
particularly In the land commerce of
the nation.
INCHEASF.D RAILROAD CASUALTIES
Call* for Provisions for Greater
Safely to Travel.
The ever-increasing rosifalty Hat upon
our railroads ia a matter of grave pub
Odors of Perspiration Royal Foot Wash
. ... f#t, othjr
blog* Chafing, cures Sweating, Itching Swollen, Tired Foot.
IN at druggists, or prepaid from BATON DKUQ CO., Atlanta, Ob Money
Mck U not taUaflad. Nagle fee t**nl stamp.
lic concern, and urgently calls for
action by the Congress. In the mat
ter of speed and comfort of railway
travel our railroads give ‘at least as
good service as those of any other na
tion, and there is no reason why this
service should not also be as safe as
human ingenuity can make it. Many
of our leading rcfads have been fore
most in the adoption of the most ap
proved safeguards for the protection
of travelers and employes, yet the list
of clearly avoidable accidents con
tinues unduly large. The passage of
a law requiring the adoption of a block
signal system has been proposed to
the Congress. I earnestly concur in that
recommendation, and would also point
out to the Congress the urgent need
of legislation in the interest of the
public safety limiting the hours of
labor for ltailroad employes in train
service upon railroads engaged in in
terstate commerce, and providing that
only trained and experienced persons
be employed in positions of responsi
bility connected with the operation of
trains.
Drastic I’uni aliment Heroin mended.
Of course nothing can ever prevent
accidents caused by human weakness
or misconduct; and there should be
drastic punishment for any railroad
employe, whether officer or man, who
by issuance of wrong orders or by
disobedience of orders causes disaster.
The law of 1901, requiring interstate
railroads to make monthly reports of
all accidents to passengers and em
ployes on duty, should also be amend
ed so as to empower the government
to make a personal investigation,
through proper officers, of all acci
dents involving loss of life which seem
to require Investigation, with a re
quirement that the results of such in
vestigation be made public.
The safety-appliance law, as amend
ed by the act of March 2, 1903, Was
proved beneficial to railway employes,
and in order that its provisions may
be properly carried out, the force of
inspectors provided for by appropria
tion should be largely increased. This
service is analogous to the Steamboat
Inspection Service, and deals with even
more important interests. It has pass
ed the experimental stage and demon
strated its utility, and should receive
generous recognition by the Congress.
For Open SliopM.
There is no objection to employes
of the government forming or belonging
to unions; but the government can
neither discriminate for nor against
non-union men who are in its em
ployment, or who seek to be employed
under it Moreover, it is a very grave
impropriety for government employes
to band themselves together for the
purpose of extorting improperly high
salaries from the government. Especi
ally is this true of those within the
classified service. The letter carriers,
both municipal and rural, are as a
whole an excellent body of public ser
vants. They should be amply paid.
But their payment must be obtained
by arguing their claims fairly and hon
orably before the Congress, and not by
banding together for the defeat of
those congressmen who refuse to give
promises which they can not in con
science give. The administration has
already taken steps to prevent and
punish abuses of this nature; but it
will be wise for the Congress to sup
plement this action by legislation.
The Bureau of Labor.
Much can be done by the govern
ment in labor matters merely by giv
ing publicity to certain conditions. The
Bureau of Labor has done excellent
work of this kind in many different
directions. I shall shortly lay before
you In a special message the full re
port of the investigation of the Bu
reau of Labor into the Colorado min
ing strike, as this is a strike in which
certain very evil forces, which are
more or less at work everywhere un
der the conditions of modern indus
trialism, became startlingly promi
nent.
It is greatly to be wished that the
Department of Commerce and Labor,
through the Labor Bureau, should
compile and arrange for the Congress
a list of the labor laws of the various
states, and should be given the means
to Investigate and report to the Con
gress upon the labor conditions
in the manufacturing and min
ing regions throughout the country,
both as to wages, as to hours of labor,
as to the labor of women and chil
dren, and ns to the effect in the va
rious labor centers of immigration
from abroad.
The Child labor question.
In this investigation especial atten
tion should be paid to the conditions
of child labor and child-labor legisla
tion In the several states. Such an In
vest Igatlpn must, necessarily take into
account many of the problems with
which this question of child labor Is
connected. These problems can be ac
tually met. In most cases, only by the
states themselves; but the lack of
proper legislation in one state In such
a matter as child labor often renders
It excessively difficult to establish pro
tective restriction upon the work In
another state having the same Indus
tries, so that the worst tends to drag
down the better. For this reason, It
would be well for the nation at least
to endeavor to secure comprehensive
SAVANNAH. GA.. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7. 1904.
information as to the conditions of
labor of children In the different
states. Such investigation and pub
lication by the national government
would tend toward the securing of ap
proximately uniform legislation of the
proper character among the several
states.
THE GREAT COHI*OKATIO\S.
The Government .Should Deni With
Them Directly.
When we come to deal with great
corporations the need for the govern
ment to act directly is far greater than
in the case of labor, because great cor
porations can become such only by
engaging in interstate commerce, and
interstate commerce is peculiarly the
field of the general government. It Is
an absurdity to expect to eliminate the
abuses in great corporations by state
action. It is difficult to be patient with
an argument that such matters should
be left to the states, because more
than one state pursues the policy of
creating on easy terms corporations
which are never operated within that
state at all, but in other states whose
laws they ignore.
The national government alone can
deal adequately with these great cor
porations. To try to deal with them
in an intemperate, destructive, or de
magogic spirit would, in all probabil
ity, mean that nothing whatever would
be accomplished, and, with absolute
certainty, that if anything were ac
complished it would be of a harmful
nature.
In Dcnlintt Willi Cortinmtton*.
The American people need to con
tinue to show tlte very qualities that
they have shown—that is, moderation,
good sense, the earnest desire to avoid
doing any damage, and yet the quiet
determination to proceed, step hy step,
without halt and without hurry, in
eliminating or at least In minimizing
whatever of mischief or of evil there
is to interestate commerce in the con
duct of great corporations. They are
acting in no spirit of hostility to
wealth, either individual or corporate.
They are not against the rich man
any more than against the poor man.
On the contrary, they are friendly alike
toward rich man and toward poor man,
provided only that each acts in a spirit
of justice and decency 1 toward his fel
lows.
Great corporations are necessary, and
only men of great and singular men
tal power can manage such corpora
tions successfully, and such men must
have great rewards. But these cor
porations should be managed with due
regard to the interest of the public
as a whole. Where this can be done
under the present laws it must be
done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supple
ment them.
Good Sense n Determining Factor.
Yet we must never forget the de
termining factor in every kind of
work, of head or hand, must be the
man's own good sense, courage and
kindliness. More important than any
legislation is the gradual growth of
a feeling of responsibility and for
bearance among capitalists and wage
workers alike; a feeling of respect on
the part of each man for the rights
of others; a feeling of broad commun
ity of interest, not merely of capital
ists among themselves, and of wage
workers among themselves, but of
capitalists and wage-workers in their
relations to each other, and of both
In their relations to their fellows who
with them make up the body politic.
There are many captains of industry,
many labor leaders, who realize this.
A recent speech by the president of
one of our great railroad systems to
the employes of that system contains
sound common sense. It runs in part
as follows:
"lt is my belief we can better serve
each other, better understand the man
as well as his business, when meeting
fact to face, exchanging views, and
realizing from personal contact we
serve but one interest, that of our mu
tual prosperity.
“Serious misunderstandings cannot
occur where personal good will exists
and opportunity for personal explana
tion is present.
"In my early business life I had
experience with men of affairs of a
character to make me desire to avoid
creating a like feeling of resentment
to myself and the interests in my
charge, should fortune ever place me
in authority, and I am solicitous of
a measure of confidence on the part
of the public and our employes that
I shall hope may be warranted by the
fairness and good fellowship I intend
shall prevail in our relationship.
Steps hot to Be Taken.
"But do not feel I am disposed to
grant unreasonable requests, spend the
money of our company unnecessarily
or without value received, nor expect
the days of mistakes are disappear
ing, or that cause for complaint will
not continually occur; simply to cor
rect such abuses as may be discovered,
to better conditions as fast as rea
sonably may be expected, constantly
Striving, with varying success, for that
improvement we all desire, to convince
you there is a force at work in the
right direction, all the time making
progress—is the disposition with which
I have come among you, asking your
good will and encouragement.
"The day has gone by when a cor
poration can be handled successfully
in defiance of the public will, even
though that will be unreasonable and
wrong. A public may be led, but not
driven, and I prefer to go with it and
shape or modify, in a measure, Its
opinion, rather than be swept from my
bearings, with loss to myself and the
interests In mv dharge.
Prejudice Towards Capital.
"Violent prejudice exists towards
corporate activity and capital to-day,
much of It founded in reason, more in
apprehension, and a large measure is
due to the personal traits of arbitrary,
unreasonable, incompetent and offen
sive men in positions of authority. The
accomplishment of results by Indirec
tion, the endeavor to thwart the In
tention, if not the expressed letter of
the law (the will of the people), a
disregard of the rights of others, a
disposition to withhold what Is due,
to force by main strength or inactivity
a result not justified, depending upon
the weakness of the claimant and his
indisposition to become Involved in liti
gation, has created a sentiment harm
ful in the extreme and a disposition
to consider anything fair that gives
gain to the individual at the expense
of the company.
Wlmt Corporations Must no.
"If corporations are to continue to do
the world's work, as they are best fit
ted to. these qualities In their repre
sentatives that have resulted In the
present prejudice against them must he
relegated to the background. The cor
porations must come out Into the open
and sec and be seen. They must take
the public Into their confidence and
ask for what they want, and no more,
and be prepared to explain satlefacto
rlly what advantage will accrue to the
public If they are given their desires,
for they are permitted to exist not that
they may make money solely, but that
they may effectively serve those from
whom they derive their power.
"Publicity and not secrecy, will win
hereafter, and laws be construed by
their intent and not by their letter,
otherwise public utilities will be owned
und operated by the public which cre
ated them, even though the service be
less efficient and the result less satis
factory from a financial standpoint."
The Bureau of Corporations has
made careful preliminary Investigation
of many important corporations. It
will make a special report on the beef
Industry.
The lliirenu of Corporation*.
The policy of the bureau is to ac
complish the purposes of Its creation
by co-operation, not antagonism; by
making constructive legislation, not
destructive prosecution, the immediate
object of its inquiries; by conservative
investigation of law and fact, and by
refusal to issue incomplete and hence
necessarily inaccurate reports. Its
policy being thus one of open in
quiry into, and not attack upon, bus
iness, the bureau has been able to
gain not only the confidence, but, bet
ter still, the co-operation of men en
gaged in legitimate business.
The bureau offers to the Congress
the means of getting at the cost of
production of our various great staples
of commerce.
Of necessity tho careful investiga
tion of special corporations will af
ford the commissioner knowledge of
certain business facts, the publica
tion of which might be an Improper
infringement of private rights. The
method of making public the results
of these investigations affords, under
the law, a means for the protection of
private lights. The Congress will
have all facts except such as would
give to another corporation informa
tion which would injure the legitimate
business of a competitor and destroy
the incentive for individual superiority
and thrift.
Ilrimrl* ou Corporal lon*.
The bureau has also made exhaustive
examinations into the legal condition
under which corporate business is- car
ried on In the various states; into all
judicial decisions on the subject; and
into the various systems of corporate
taxation in use. I call special atten
tion to the report of the chief of the
bureau; and I earnestly ask that the
Congress carefully consider the report
and recommendations of the commis
sioner on this subject.
The business of Insurance vitally af
fects the great mass of the people of
the United States and is national and
not local in its application. It in
volves a multitude of transactions
among the people of the different
states and between American compa
nies and foreign governments. I urge
that the Congress carefully consider
whether the power of the Bureau of
Corporations can not constitutionally
be extended to cover interstate trans
actions in Insurance.
Rebate*.
Above all else, we must strive to
keep the highways of commerce open
to all on equal terms; and to do this
it is necessary to put a complete stqp
to all rebates. Whether the shipper
or the railroad is to blame makes no
difference; the rebate must be stopped,
the abuses of the private car and pri
vate terminal track and side track sys
tems must be stopped, and the legis
lation of the Fifty-eighth Congress
which declares it to be unlawful for
any person or corporation to offer,
grant, give, solicit, accept, or receive
any rebate, concession, or discrimina
tion In respect of the transportation of
any property In Interstate or foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be transported
at a less rate than that named in
tho tariffs, published by the carrier
must be enforced. For some time after
the enactment of the act to regulate
commerce it remained a mooted ques
tion whether that act conferred upon
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power, after it had found a chal
lenged rate to be unreasonable, to de
clare what thereafter should, prlmu
facie, be the reasonable maximum rate
for the transportation in dispute.
The Commission's Powers l.imlted.
The Supreme. Court finally resolved
that question in the negative, so that
as the law now stands the Commis
sion simply possess the bare power to
denounce a particular rate as unrea
sonable. While I am of the opinion
that at present it would be undesir
able, if It were not impracticable, final
ly to clothe the commission with gen
eral authority to fix railroad rates, I
do believe that, as a fair security to
shippers, the commission should be
vested with the power, where a given
rate has been challenged and after full
hearing found to be unreasonable, to
decide, subject to judicial review, what
shall be a reasonable rate to take Its
place: the ruling of the commission
to take effect immediately, and to ob
tain unless and until it Is reversed
by the court of review.
Mnst Increase Supervision.
The government must In Increasing
degree supervise and regulate the
workings of the railways engaged In
interstate commerce; and such Increas
ed supervision is the only alternative
to an increase of the present evils on
the one hand or a still more radical
policy on the other. In my Judgment
the most Important legislative act now
needed as regards the regulation of
corporations is this act to confer on
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power to revise rates and regula
tions. the revised rate to at once go
into effect, and to stay In effect unless
and until the court of review reverses
It.
Steamship companies engaged In in
terstate commerce and protected In our
coastwise trade, should be held to a
strict observance of the Interstate com
merce act.
IX THE GREAT CITIES.
Conditions Which Thrrntrn the Pub
lic Welfare.
In pursuing the set plan to make the
city of Washington an example to
other American municipalities several
points should be kept in mind by the
legislators. In the first place, the peo
ple of this country should clearly un
derstand that no amount of Industrial
prosperity, and above all no leader
ship in international industrial com
petition. can In any way atone for
the supping of the vitality of those
who are usually spoken of as the work
ing classes. The farmers, the mechanics,
the skilled and unskilled laborers, the
small shop keepers, make up the bulk
of the population of any country; and
upon their well-being, generation af
ter generation, the well-being of the
country and the race depends. Rapid
development on wealthy and industrial
leadership Is a go's! thing, but only If
It goes hand In hand with Improvement
and not deterioration, physical and
moral.
Overcrowding of cities.
The overcrowding of cities and the
draining of country districts srs un
healthy nnd even dangerous symp
toms In our modern life. We should
not permit overcrowding in cities. In
certain European cities it is provided
by law that the population of towns
shall not be allowed to exceed a very
limited density for a given area, so
that the increase in density must be
continifally pushed back Into a broad
zone around the center of the town,
this zone having great avenues or parks
within it.
The death rate statistics show a ter
rible increase in mortality, and es
pecially in infant mortality. In over
crowded tenements. The poorest fam
ilies in tenement houses live in one
room, and it appears that in these one
room tenements the average death rate
for a number of given cities at home
and abroad is about twice what it is
in a two-room tenement, four times
what it is in a three-room tenement,
and eight times what it is in a tene
ment consisting of four rooms or over.
These figures vary somewhat for dif
ferent cities, but they approximate
in each city those given above, and in
all cases the increase of mortality, and
especially of infant mortality, with
the decrease in the number of rooms
used by the family and wdth the con
sequent overcrowding is startling.
Hrallt llnle of llie Slum*.
The slum exacts a heavy total of
death from those who dwell therein;
and this is the case not merely in the
great crowded slums of high build
ings in New York and Chicago, but In
the. alley slums of Washington. In
Washington people can not afford to
Ignore the harm that this causes. No
Christian and civilized community can
afford to show a happy-go-lucky lack
of concern for the youth of to-day;
for. if so, the community will have to
pay a terrible penalty of financial
burden and social degradation in the
to-morrow. There should be severe
child-labor and factory-inspection
laws. It Is very desirable that mar
ried w’oinen should not work in fac
tories.
Tile Duty of Mail ami Womnn.
The prime duty-of the man Is to
work, to be the breadwinner; the
prime duty of the woman Is to be the
mother, the housewife. All questions
of tariff and finance sink into utter
Insignificance when compared with the
tremendous, the vital importance of
trying to shape conditions so that
these two duties of the man and of
the woman can be fulfilled under
reasonably favorable circumstances.
If a race does not have plenty of
children, or if the children do not
grow up, or if when they grow up
they are unhealthy In body and stunt
ed or vicious In mind, then that race
is decadent, and no heaping up of
wealth, no splendor of momentary ma
terial prosperity, can avail in any de
gree as offsets.
Nlmiilil lie n Model Government.
The Congress has the same power
of legislation for the District of Co
lumbia which the state legislatures
have for the various states. The prob
lems incident to our highly complex
modern .industrial civilization, with Us
manifold and perplexing tendencies
both for good and for evil, are far
less sharply accentuated In the city
of Washington than In most other
cities. For this very reason It Is
easier to deal with the various phases
of these, problems In Washington, and
the District of Columbia government
should be a model for the other mu
nicipal governments of the nation, In
all such matters as supervision of the
housing of the poor, the creation of
small parks In the districts inhabited
by the poor, in laws affecting labor,
In laws providing for the taking care
of the children, In truant lawß, and In
providing schools.
Cnre of the Children.
In the vital matter of taking care
of children much advantage could be
gained by a* careful study of what
has been accomplished In such states
as Illinois and Colorado by the Juvenile
courts. The work of the juvenile court
is really a work of character build
ing. It is now generally recognized
that young boys and young girls who
go wrong should not be treated as
criminals, not even necessarily ns
needing reformation, but rather as
needing to have their characters form
' ed. and for this end to have them
tested and developed by a system of
probation. Much admirable work has
been done In many of our common
wealths by earnest men and women
who have made a special study of the
needs of thosp classes of children
which furnish the greatest number of
Juvenile offenders, and therefore the
greatest number of adult offenders:
and by their aid, and by profiting by
the experiences of the different states
and cities In these matters, It would
be easy to provide a good code for
the District of Columbia.
Structural a un<lit lone.
Several considerations suggest the
need for a systematic Investigation
Into and improvement of housing con
ditions In Washington. The hidden
residential alleys are breeding grounds
of vice and disease, and should be
opened Into minor streets. For a num
ber of years influential citizens have
Joined with the District Commission
ers in the vain endeavor to secure
laws permitting the condemnation of
Insanitary dwellings. The local death
rates, especially from preventable dis
eases, are so unduly high as to sug
gest that the exceptional ivholesome
r.css of Washington’s better sections
is offset by bad conditions In her
poorer neighborhoods.
A special "Commission on Housing
and Health Conditions in the National
Capital" would not only bring about
the reformation of existing evils, but
would also formulate an appropriate
building code to protect the city from
mammoth brick tenements and other
evils which threaten to develop here
ns they have in other cities. That the
nation's capital should be made a
model for other municipalities Is an
Ideal which appeals to all patriotic
citizens everywhere, and such a spec
ial commission might map out and
organize the city’s future develop
ment in lines of civic social service.
Just as MaJ. L'Enfant and the recent
Dark Commission planned the arrange
ment of her streets and parks.
Ear n Compulsory School tin.
It Is mortifying to remember that
Washington has no compulsory school
attendance law and that careful In
quiries Indicate the habitual absence
from school of some 20 per cent, of all
children between the ages of eight
and fourteen. It must be evident to all
who consider the problems of neglect
ed child life or the benefits of com
pulsory education in other cities that
one of the most urgent needs of the
national capital Is s law requiring the
school attendance of all children, this
law to be enforced by attendance
agents directed by the Board of Edu
cation.
Public l*ln> sronnils Seeeesary.
Public play grounds are necessary
means for the development of whole
some citizenship In modern cities. It
Is Important that the work inaugurated
here through voluntary efforts should
he taken up and extended through
congressional appropriation of funds
sufficient to equip and maintain nu
PAGES 9 TO 14
merous convenient small play grounds
upon land which can be secured with
out purchase or rental. It Is also desir
able that small vacant places be pur
chased affd reserved as small-park
play grounds in densely settled sections
of the city which now have no public
open spaces and are destined soon to
be built up solidly. All these needs
should be met Immediately. To meet
them would entail expenses; but a
corresponding saving could be made
by stopping the building of streets and
levelling of ground for purposes large
ly speculative in outlying parts of the
city. ,
Severer Pnnl*linient* Needed.
There are certain offenders, whose
criminality takes the shape of bru
tality and cruelty towards the weak,
who need a special type of punish
ment. The wlfc-beater, for example.
Is Inadequately punished by Imprison
ment; for Imprisonment may often
mean nothing to him, w'hile it may
cause hunger and want to the wife
and children who have been the vic
tims of his brutality. Probably some
form of corporal punishment would be
the most adequate veay of meeting this
kind of crime.
THE COI STBY’S AGRICULTURE.
The Occnputlon of Nearly One Hair
It* People.
The Department, of Agriculture has
grown Into an educational Institution
with a faculty of 2,000 specialists mak
ing research Into all the sciences of
production. The Congress appropri
ates, directly and Indirectly, six mil
lions of dollars annually to carry on
this work. It reaches every state and
territory in the Union and the islands
of the sea lately come under our flag.
Co-operation ts had with the state ex
periment stations and with many other
Institutions and individuals. The world
Is cafefully searched for new varieties
of grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables,
trees and shrubs, suitable to various
localities In our country; and marked
benefit to our producers has resulted.
The activities of our age in lines of
research have reached the tillers of
the soli and Inspired them with am
bition to know more of the principles
thnt govern tho forces of nature with
which they have to deal.
Half tlie People Farmers.
Nearly half of the people of this
country devote their energies to grow
ing things from the soli. Until a re
cent date little has been done to pre
pare these millions for their life work.
In most lines of human activity col
lege-trained men are the leaders. The
farmer had no opportunity for special
training until the Congress made pro
vision for It forty years ago. During
these years progress has been made
and teachers have been prepared. Over
5,000 students are In attendance at our
state agricultural colleges. The federal
government expends ten millions of
dollars annually toward this education
and for research In Washington and
in the several states and territories.
The Department of Agriculture has
given facilities for post-graduate work
to 500 young men during the last seven
years, preparing them for advanced
work In the department and In the
state institutions.
The Science of Meteorology.
The I‘acts concerning meteorology
and its relations to plant and animal
life are being systematically Inquired
into. Temperature and moisture are
controlling factors in all agricultural
operations. The seasons of the cy
clones of the Carribean Sea and their
paths are being forecasted with in
creasing accuracy. The cold winds thfit
come from the north are anticipated
and their times and Intensity told to
farmers, gardeners, and fruiterers In
all southern localities.
We sell two hundred and fifty million
dollars’ worth of animals and animal
products to foreign countries every
year. In addition to supplying our own
people more cheaply and abundantly
than any other nation Is able to pro
vide for its people. Successful man
ufacturing depends primarily on cheap
food, which ‘accounts to a considerable
extent for our growth in this direc
tion. The department of Agriculture,
by careful inspection of meats, guards
the health of our people and gives clean
bills of health to deserving exports;
it Is prepared to deal promptly with
Imported diseases of animals, and
maintain the excellence of our flocks
and herds In this respect. There
should be an annual census of the live
stock of the nation.
*000.000,000 Worth of l-lanta.
We sell abroad about six hundred
million dollars worth of plants and
their products every year. Strenuous
efforts are being made to Import from
foreign countries such gi'afns as are
suitable to our varying localities. Seven
years ago we bought three-fourths of
our rice; by helping the rice growers
on the Oulf coast to secure seeds from
the Orient suited to their conditions,
and by giving them adequate protection
they now supply home demand and ex
port to the islands of the Caribbean sea
and to other rice-growing countries.
Wheat and other grains have been
imported from light-rainfall countries
to our lands In the West and South
west that have not grown crops because
of light precipitation, resulting in an
extensive addition to our cropping
area and our home-making territory
that cun not be Irrigated. Ten mil
lion bushels of first-class macaroni
wheat were grown from these experi
mental Importations last year. Fruits
suitable to our soils and climate* are
being imported from all the countries
of the Old World —the fig from Tur
key. the almond from Spain, the date
from Algeria, the mango from India.
Poshing Into Foreign Markets.
We are helping our fruit growers to
get their crops Into European mar
kets by studying methods of preserva
tion through refrigeration, packing and
handling, which have been quite auc
eeasful. We are helping ouf hop grow
ers by Importing varieties that ripen
earlier and later than the klnda they
have been ralalng. thereby lengthen
ing the harvesting season. The cot
ton crop of the country Is threatened
with root rot, the boll worm and the
boll weevil. Our pathologists will find
Immune varieties that will resist the
root disease, and the boll worm can
be dealt with, but the boll weevil la a
serioua menace to the cotton crop. It
is a Central American insect that has
become acclimated in Texas and has
done great damage. A scientist of
the Department of Agriculture has
found the weevil at home In Guate
mala being kept In check by an ant,
which has been brought to our cotton
fielda for observation. It Is hoped
that it may serve a good purpose.
Improving the l.nnda.
The soils of tbe country are getting
attention from the farmer’s standpoint,
and Interesting results are following.
We bate duplicates of the soils that
grow the wrapper tobacco In Mumatra
and the fitter tobacco In Cuba. It will
be only a question of time when the
large amounts paid to these countries
will be paid to our own people. The
reclamation of alkali lands Is progress-